HVAC Technician Hourly Rates: 2025 U.S. State Guide

Setting the right HVAC technician hourly rates can make or break your HVAC business. If you pay too little, you’ll struggle to find and keep great techs. Alternatively, if you pay too much, you won’t be able to sustain your excess overhead costs. Finding that sweet spot is key to your long-term success.

In this blog, we’ll break down everything you need to know about HVAC technician hourly rates so you can make smart decisions for your business. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Average HVAC technician hourly rates across the country
Factors influencing HVAC technician pay
How to calculate the right billing rate for customers
Ways to boost profits without raising your rates too high
How to explain your rates to customers effectively

Current HVAC Technician Hourly Rates Across the U.S.

The average HVAC technician hourly rates vary widely across the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average wage for HVAC technicians was $28.75 per hour in 2024, or $59,810 per year.

However, what you pay your technicians is just one piece of the puzzle. The rate you bill customers needs to be significantly higher to cover all your business expenses and generate profit.

There are also regional differences based on region and cost of living.

Here is a state-by state comparison according to ZipRecruiter:

State	Annual Salary	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Washington	$66,577	$1,280	$32.01
New York	$64,310	$1,236	$30.92
Massachusetts	$64,198	$1,234	$30.86
Alaska	$63,305	$1,217	$30.44
Vermont	$62,501	$1,201	$30.05
North Dakota	$62,196	$1,196	$29.90
Oregon	$62,150	$1,195	$29.88
Colorado	$61,811	$1,188	$29.72
Hawaii	$61,072	$1,174	$29.36
Nevada	$59,858	$1,151	$28.78
New Jersey	$59,678	$1,147	$28.69
Wisconsin	$59,332	$1,141	$28.52
Pennsylvania	$58,923	$1,133	$28.33
Delaware	$58,833	$1,131	$28.29
South Dakota	$58,782	$1,130	$28.26
Virginia	$58,278	$1,120	$28.02
California	$58,013	$1,115	$27.89
Minnesota	$57,572	$1,107	$27.68
Rhode Island	$57,566	$1,107	$27.68
New Hampshire	$57,166	$1,099	$27.48
Maryland	$57,051	$1,097	$27.43
New Mexico	$56,964	$1,095	$27.39
Illinois	$56,962	$1,095	$27.39
Maine	$56,913	$1,094	$27.36
Wyoming	$56,503	$1,086	$27.16
Nebraska	$56,046	$1,077	$26.95
Indiana	$55,935	$1,075	$26.89
Connecticut	$55,919	$1,075	$26.88
Ohio	$55,884	$1,074	$26.87
Mississippi	$55,671	$1,070	$26.76
Idaho	$55,308	$1,063	$26.59
Iowa	$55,212	$1,061	$26.54
Missouri	$55,138	$1,060	$26.51
Arizona	$54,779	$1,053	$26.34
Texas	$54,765	$1,053	$26.33
South Carolina	$54,547	$1,048	$26.22
Oklahoma	$54,276	$1,043	$26.09
Montana	$53,953	$1,037	$25.94
Utah	$53,514	$1,029	$25.73
North Carolina	$53,421	$1,027	$25.68
Tennessee	$53,352	$1,026	$25.65
Alabama	$53,280	$1,024	$25.62
Kansas	$52,425	$1,008	$25.20
Michigan	$51,234	$985	$24.63
Kentucky	$51,054	$981	$24.55
Louisiana	$50,266	$966	$24.17
Georgia	$49,635	$954	$23.86
Arkansas	$48,607	$934	$23.37
West Virginia	$45,507	$875	$21.88
Florida	$43,928	$844	$21.12

Fun Fact: Top-level HVAC technicians in specialized fields like industrial refrigeration or smart home integration can earn more than $75,000 per year.

Factors That Influence HVAC Technician Hourly Rates

Several key factors determine appropriate HVAC technician hourly rates for both what you pay employees and what you charge customers:

Experience and Certification Levels

More experienced and better certified HVAC technicians command higher wages. According to a 2023 HVAC industry survey by Contracting Business, technicians with NATE certification earn significantly more than non-certified technicians.

Geographic Location

Where your business operates greatly impacts appropriate HVAC technician hourly rates. A technician in San Francisco might earn nearly twice what the same position pays in rural Alabama.

According to Indeed’s salary data, metropolitan areas with the highest HVAC technician pay include:

San Francisco, CA ($33.89/hour)
Anaheim, CA ($33.57/hour)
Lenexa, KS ($32.53/hour)
Columbus, OH ($31.72/hour)
Salt Lake City, UT ($30.56/hour)

Company Size and Business Model

Larger companies often pay slightly higher wages but can spread overhead costs across more jobs. Small businesses might pay a bit less but typically need to charge customers higher rates to cover their fixed costs.

The most profitable HVAC companies don’t always charge the highest rates! Companies with the highest profit margins tend to have excellent efficiency systems and add-on sales strategies rather than just high hourly rates.

Calculating the Right Billing Rate for Your Customers

When setting your customer billing rate, you need to factor in much more than just what you pay your technicians. Many newer HVAC business owners make the mistake of simply doubling the HVAC technician hourly rates they pay employees, but this often leads to financial troubles down the road.

A better approach follows this formula:

The True Cost of an HVAC Technician Hour

To calculate what you should charge customers, start with these costs:

Direct Labor Cost: What you pay the technician hourly
Labor Burden: Taxes, insurance, benefits
Overhead Allocation: Office staff, rent, vehicles, fuel, tools, marketing, software etc.
Profit Margin: Healthy businesses aim for 12-20% net profit

Here’s how this might look for a typical HVAC business with a technician earning $25/hour:

Direct hourly wage: $25.00
Labor burden (35%): $8.75
Total labor cost: $33.75
Overhead allocation: $40.50
Cost before profit: $74.25
Profit margin (20%): $18.56
Minimum hourly billing rate: $92.81

This is why most successful service businesses charge between $70-$150 per hour depending on their market, despite paying technicians far less.

The average residential HVAC service call billing rate in 2024 was $100-$250 depending on the problem.

Regional Differences in HVAC Technician Hourly Rates

Understanding regional variations helps you set competitive HVAC technician hourly rates without leaving money on the table. Here’s what we see across different markets:

Urban vs. Rural Pricing

The same service can cost dramatically different amounts depending on location. HVAC service calls in major cities average significantly higher than in rural areas.

Seasonal Factors

Many HVAC companies adjust their HVAC technician hourly rates seasonally. During peak summer and winter months when demand is highest, rates often increase.

Fun Fact: The busiest day for HVAC emergency calls is typically the first day when temperatures exceed 90°F in a region, with call volume increasing by up to 300% compared to average days!

Tips for Communicating Your Rates to Customers

Customers don’t always understand why HVAC technician hourly rates seem high compared to what they know technicians earn. Here are effective ways to explain your pricing:

Focus on Value, Not Just Rate

Explain what customers get for their money:

Trained, certified professionals
Proper insurance coverage
Warranty on work
24/7 availability
Proper tools and equipment

Use Flat Rate Pricing for Transparency

Many successful companies have moved away from strictly hourly billing to flat rate pricing for common services. Ready to make that flat rate switch? FieldEdge Flat Rate Mobile is the best way to get started on the flat rate journey.

Offer Good/Better/Best Options

When presenting solutions, give customers options at different price points:

Good: Basic repair/minimum required
Better: Quality repair with improved components
Best: Premium solution with added benefits

This approach increases average ticket size by 30%.

How Software Helps Optimize Your HVAC Business

The right field service software (like FieldEdge) can help you make the most of your HVAC technician hourly rates by:

Tracking productivity: See exactly how billable hours compare to total hours paid
Monitoring profit by service type: Identify which services generate the most profit
Streamlining scheduling: Minimize drive time and maximize billable hours
Simplifying price updates: Adjust rates easily across your entire business

Businesses like yours using the best HVAC software report increases in both technician productivity and higher revenue per technician.

Strategies to Increase Profits (Without Raising Rates Too High)

If you’re concerned about keeping your HVAC technician hourly rates competitive, these strategies help boost profits without dramatic rate increases:

Increase Efficiency: Simple changes like optimized routing and stocking service vehicles properly can make a huge difference.

Implement Maintenance Agreements: Monthly service agreements create steady revenue and reduce seasonality.

Train Technicians in Sales: Well-trained technicians who can professionally recommend additional needed services typically generate more revenue per call. Proper training ensures this feels helpful, not pushy, to customers.

See how FieldEdge can help save time and money. Book your FREE personalized demo today!

Finding Your Sweet Spot for HVAC Technician Hourly Rates

Setting the right HVAC technician hourly rates requires balancing what you pay employees, what you charge customers and what your market will bear. By understanding all the factors that go into pricing and using modern tools to track performance, you can find that profitable middle ground that helps your established HVAC business reach the next level.

Key takeaways to remember:

Successful HVAC businesses typically charge 3-5x what they pay technicians to cover all costs and generate profit
Regional factors significantly impact appropriate rates—know your local market
Customer perception matters—focus on communicating value, not just price
Software tools help optimize technician productivity and profitability
Service agreements and additional service sales can boost profits
Regular analysis of your numbers is essential for continued long-term scalability

By taking a strategic approach to your HVAC technician hourly rates, you can build a sustainable, profitable business that provides value to both customers and employees while supporting your profit goals.